The Hit List is a look at our current swing trading positions. Stocks we are already in have “triggered”, while those we are considering for plays have not triggered. Click post title to view print-friendly link.

AA triggered

Open Position Notes:

FLR attempted to turn higher Friday but failed, ending the day nicely negative. I’ve noted here before that news tends to even out, as surprise headlines have stopped me out of positions and caused frustration.  On Friday we saw a negative headline impact FLR, sending the stock immediately lower, which of course favors this short sale.  This confirms the lower-high setup for which I took this play now that a new pullback low has been set.  I’m still waiting for my Targets to be met, but Target 1 isn’t far away.  This acceleration in the decline due to Friday’s headline is a good reminder that the news flows both ways.  Anytime it proves costly, you can usually count on a favorable move in another trade at a later time.  The market has a way of evening things out like that.  From a technical standpoint, this setup still looks bearish, and I’m watching for downside follow through in the days ahead.  Earnings are due out this Thursday afternoon (Nov. 4) according to both Yahoo! Finance and EarningsWhispers.com, so I’ll look to make an exit most likely by Wednesday afternoon if not sooner.

AA triggered a buy on Friday as it pushed through the trend line at $13.05 to begin moving higher out of the three-week base which had been building.  I particularly liked the volume increase which accompanied the turn higher, as that indicates there’s some fuel behind this move.  Earnings are already out from this company, so I’ll be patient with it going forward.  I’m leaving my stop as-is heading into Monday, but if we see some decent follow through I’ll certainly look to tighten my stop next week.  Decent start so far, let’s see what happens.

Closed Positions:

No closed positions.

The Hit List is a look at our current swing trading positions. Stocks we are already in have “triggered”, while those we are considering for plays have not triggered. Click post title to view print-friendly link.

No changes

Open Position Notes:

FLR attempted to push higher this morning but backed off a bit, finishing not far from yesterday’s closing levels by losing just a few cents.  Nonetheless, I like the weak finish we saw and this one still looks vulnerable to lower prices with the recent bounce having failed.  I’m going to stick with my existing parameters heading into Friday, and if this one can start making some better progress I may look to make an adjustment to my stop.

Closed Positions:

No closed positions.

The Hit List is a look at our current swing trading positions. Stocks we are already in have “triggered”, while those we are considering for plays have not triggered. Click post title to view print-friendly link.

FLR triggered

Open Position Notes:

FLR triggered a short sale today as it turned down through the rising trend line at $49.20.  This helps to confirm the lower-high-in-progress appearance of the daily chart which has formed over the past week.  Today’s move appears to be the start of a secondary decline (after the mid-October drop), so let’s see if follow through arrives.  I like the start of this trade so far, but will stick with my existing trade parameters heading into tomorrow’s session.

Closed Positions:

No closed positions.

The Hit List is a look at our current swing trading positions. Stocks we are already in have “triggered”, while those we are considering for plays have not triggered. Click post title to view print-friendly link.

PLD stopped, AA added

Open Position Notes:

No open positions.

Closed Positions:

PLD gapped down this morning to trigger my stop, taking me out for a 4.7% loss.  This stock tried to shape up Monday, but ahead of earnings it simply hesitated.  I had intended to exit intraday on strength, but that plan was negated when I was stopped out.  I’m going to avoid this one for now and will wait for a new pattern before I consider another entry.  Currently it’s showing indecision, and with major news due out this week, I have no interest in trying to game it.

The Hit List is a look at our current swing trading positions. Stocks we are already in have “triggered”, while those we are considering for plays have not triggered. Click post title to view print-friendly link.

JOE stopped

Open Position Notes:

PLD turned higher today to get back into the green from my entry.  The volume today was far from impressive, but I continue to like this setup and therefore am staying with it for now.  Earnings are due out Thursday morning before the bell, so I’ll be out of this trade prior to then.  Keep an eye on my Twitter stream or your inbox for a possible alert, as I will move to take profits intraday if I get a decent pop in the next two days.

Closed Positions:

JOE triggered my stop today to take me out for a 2.9% loss as it pushed north of the $20.80 level, marking a multi-day high in the process.  This stock remains technically weak, but seems to be hesitating to head lower for now in the midst of a strong overall market.  I’ll leave this one on my radar in case it begins to weaken further and sets up for another play on the short side.

The Hit List is a look at our current swing trading positions. Stocks we are already in have “triggered”, while those we are considering for plays have not triggered. Click post title to view print-friendly link.

FFIV stopped, FLR added

Open Position Notes:

PLD slipped early on Friday, but was able to hold above my stop loss and finish flat on the day.  That validates my stop for now, and although this one has initially failed to show follow through, I am going to stick with it for now.  I’ll leave my stop as-is heading into Monday, and if this one can strengthen in the days to come, I may look to make an adjustment at that time.  Earnings are due out on Thursday morning, so I’ll be out of this trade no later than Wednesday.  Watch my Twitter or your email inbox for a possible exit alert intraday, as a decent pop to the upside will prompt me to book profits.

JOE triggered an entry on Thursday morning by breaking below the bear pennant pattern I’ve been watching, but since then it has shown no downside follow through and has stagnated.  It ended the week on a flat note, finishing unchanged in Friday’s session.  I’m going to stick with my existing trade parameters for now while waiting to see if additional weakness can arrive in the days ahead.

Closed Positions:

FFIV hit Target 1 on Tuesday, but since then has struggled to exhibit the relative weakness seen prior to that breakdown.  I tightened my stop for remaining shares last week, and that stop was hit on Friday at $95, handing me a minor $0.10 loss on the 2nd half of my position.  So, I’m out of this trade with a net gain of $2.15 or 2.2%.  That’s a modest winner, but for a trade that failed to show follow through, it certainly could have been worse.

The Hit List is a look at our current swing trading positions. Stocks we are already in have “triggered”, while those we are considering for plays have not triggered. Click post title to view print-friendly link.

JOE triggered

Open Position Notes:

FFIV hit Target 1 on Tuesday, but since then has bounced a bit.  I tightened my stop last night in order to reduce my risk, and today that stop was able to hold.  The stock bounced slightly, but overall I still like the play and intend to stick with it heading into Friday.  This one is due to report earnings Tuesday afternoon, so I’ll make an exit prior to then somehow.  If the stock doesn’t stop out, I’ll look to make a discretionary exit, so keep an eye out for that via Twitter or email, whichever you prefer.

PLD showed some nice initial strength yesterday after triggering an entry, but since then the stock has slid back down beneath the trend line.  I’m going to leave my stop loss as-is heading into Friday, but would much prefer this one get going again soon, as currently it seems to have lost its strength.  Perhaps this is a shake-out type of move before strength returns, but I suppose we’ll see soon enough one way or another.

JOE triggered a short entry today as it undercut the $20.20 level to confirm the bear pennant pattern I have been watching.  The stock did bounce slightly from there, but overall remains weak from a technical standpoint and I still like this play.  I’m going to leave my stop as-is heading into Friday.

Closed Positions:

No closed positions.

The Hit List is a look at our current swing trading positions. Stocks we are already in have “triggered”, while those we are considering for plays have not triggered. Click post title to view print-friendly link.

FFIV stop tightened, PLD triggered, JOE added

Open Position Notes:

FFIV hit Target 1 on Tuesday with a nice breakdown, and rebounded a bit in today’s session.  It did back off its highs in the afternoon, which I found encouraging today.  I’ve tightened my stop for remaining shares essentially to breakeven, allowing the stock some room to fluctuate while waiting for a continuation toward Target 2 in the coming days.  So far, I like the progress in this one and I’ll be patient with it for now.  Earnings are due out on 10/26 (Tuesday afternoon), and I will definitely be out of the stock by then, even if it involves sending out an intraday alert email.

PLD triggered a buy today as it cleared the descending trend line at $12.80.  The stock pushed steadily higher and got within 1% of Target 1, but backed off in the afternoon from its best levels.  Today’s pick up in upside volume is encouraging, so I’m going to stick with my existing trade parameters heading into tomorrow and see how this one acts.  Not a bad start today, but I’d like to see some follow through soon.

Closed Positions:

No closed positions.

The Hit List is a look at our current swing trading positions. Stocks we are already in have “triggered”, while those we are considering for plays have not triggered. Click post title to view print-friendly link.

FFIV triggered, PLD added

Open Position Notes:

FFIV triggered a short Friday morning as it undercut $94.90, but it didn’t stay down for long before reclaiming support.  The stock did respect short-term resistance, which validates my stop for now, so I’m going to stay with it a little longer and see if another wave of selling hits the stock.  It continues to show relative weakness to the NAZ, which I like, but I won’t hesitate to exit if my stop is reached.

Closed Positions:

No closed positions.

The Hit List is a look at our current swing trading positions. Stocks we are already in have “triggered”, while those we are considering for plays have not triggered. Click post title to view print-friendly link.

FFIV added

Open Position Notes:

No open positions.

Closed Positions:

No closed positions.